Another key finding from the report is that despite popular belief, the vast majority of crashes happen in good weather, on flat roads and at intersections – not when riders are travelling downhill, in the rain or on gravel.

The data indicates that a crash is most likely to occur in areas that are seemingly non-risky, but are dominated by cars, highlighting the need for bike lanes that are separated from motor traffic.

“These results are not entirely surprising when you consider that when it comes to bike crashes or collisions with vehicles, studies show that car drivers are mostly at fault,” Mr Richards said.

“While our data shows that crashes are minimal, they are still avoidable and it is clear that the number one action we need to take to make bike riding even safer is to improve separation between bikes and cars.”

October was the month that recorded the most crashes, followed by January. The morning peak is the most prevalent time for crashes, when traffic is more concentrated.

All Bicycle Network members are entitled to free consultations after a crash and are comprehensively insured for medical, third party damage and other costs associated with a crash.

“We encourage our members and anyone who rides a bike to report any crash they are involved in, even if they are not hurt, to make sure we can continue to improve analysis and build better places to ride,” added Mr Richards.

The report has been presented to VicRoads and the TAC.

Where bicycle crashes happen – Melbourne

The majority of crashes in the Melbourne CBD happen on major streets at intersections

The most crashes were recorded on Collins Street and La Trobe Street, a thoroughfare for traffic from the north and east towards Docklands

Elizabeth Street also recorded a large amount of crashes, particularly around intersections at Lonsdale Street and La Trobe Street where there are large amounts of cars, trucks and buses, as well as bikes

Just outside the CBD, Queensberry Street recorded a large amount of crashes